Variable-speed driving mechanism.



PATEN'IED APR. 21, 1908. A W. WHITGOMB.

VARIABLE SPEED DRIVING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION IILBD MAY 22, 1905.

I 7 15 E l ALONZO W. WHITCOMB, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS..

VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM..

Application led May 22, 1905. Serial No. 261,521.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 190s.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo W. WHIT- ooMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Variable-Speed Driving Mechan- A ism, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to a variable speed mechanism which is designed for transmit-` ting different speeds to parts which are to be driven. j l

The especial object of this invention is to provide a variable speed mechanism in which the s eeds transmitted are controlled by a centrifugal governor which can be adjusted to roduce a variet of speed changes.

o these ends, t 's invention consists of the variable speed mechanism and of the combinations of parts therein as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims' at the end of this specification.

The accompanying drawing shows the invention applled to an overhead countershaft having driving pulleys for operating a metal laner.

- In tllie drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of sufiicient parts of an overhead counter-shaft to illustrate the application of this invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the construction.

operating many machines and particularly in operating metal workin tools, it is desirable that provision should e made for varying the speeds of operation according to the Work that is to be lperformed. This is especially true of meta Working tools, for the reason that the tools themselves are now often made of air-hardening steels which can be used successfully .at much higher s eeds than cutting tools of ordinary tool stee A considerable number of variable speed counter-shafts and variable speed drlving mechanisms are already in use for driving metal working tools at variable speeds an for other purposes. Most of such constructions, however, are limited to comparatively few speed changes, and the setting of such devices is sometimes a Work of comparative difficulty.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a variable s eed mechanism which can be readily an simply adjusted to produce a great variety o speed changes.

his object is accomplished by the usel of a construction having its operation controlled by Ia centrifugal friction governor mechanism, and by adjusting the governor mechanism, (to permit the transmission of the desired spee s.

l A variable speed mechanism may be constructed according to this invention -comprising the driving shaft which is turned rom any suitable source of power; the pulley or other part whichv is to be driven; the governor mechanism and a planetary system of gearing between the governor mechanism and the pulley or part which is to be driven. That is to say; the connection between 'the governor mechanism and the pulley or other part to be driven comprises an internal gear on one of said parts, an external gear on the other of said parts, and one or more intermediate gears revolved by the driving shaft and interposed between the internal gear and th external gear. l

Referring to the accompan 'ng drawing for a detail description of one, orm of appa# ratus embodying 'this invention, 10 des' nates a shaft-hanger bracket. Fastened 1n the bracket 10 is a bearing boxI 11 which isl preferably lined with an anti-friction bushing 12. J ournaled in the anti-friction bushing 12 and supported at its other end in any suitable bearlng is the driving shaft l13. Fastened upon and turning with the driving shaft13 is a large pulley 14. The bearing o A the shaft 13 may be'lubricated by an ordinary grease-box G.

-The construction illustrated is intended to be used as a counter-shaft for a metal planer,

and the large pulley 14 carries a belt Bwhich will drive the planer-table on its return diameter of the pulley 14 being large enough to impart the hi hest return speed to t e planer table whic can be used with safety. i

' stroke with a quick speed return motion, the i s eeds accordin to the work w `ch isv to be one. The pul ey 15 to be driven is provided with an internal (gear which is held in place by a cover-plate Fastened to a collar-on the driving shaft 13 `is a disk 16. Riveted into the disk -16 area:`

number of pins 17 (in the present instance, four), and journaled on the projecting ends of the studs or pins 17 are four intermediate gears 18-which are revolved by the driving shaft. J ournaled loosely on the shaft 13 is a mclosed in a thimble 40 threaded onto the box 11.

The action of the overnor to be hereinafter referred to, tens to draw the head 22 away from the box 11 and to receive this thrust, I'provide a ball-bearing 23 which may be of the ordinary or usual thrust type of ball bearing. Turning with the sleeve 21 and longitudinally movable thereon is the governor shifted sleeve 24, and pivoted in ears on the governor-shifted sleeve 24 are governor weights 25 which are held in normal osition by springs 26. The governor weigffts 25 at the other sides of their pivots rest against a wearing ring 27 mounted on the external gear 20. The 'governor-shifted sleeve 24 is rovided with a friction disk 28 engaging a iction surface 30 carried by a coperating disk 29 adjustably threaded on the thimble 40. Mounted on the hub of the friction disk 29 is aworm-wheel gages with and can be turned worm 32 carried shaft 33.

In the voperation of the complete device, the s eed of the pulley 15 depends upon the s eed) of rotation of the external gear 20.

or example, if the disk 31 is adjusted to permit the external gear 20 to same speed as the shaft 13, the intermediate gears 18 revolving in unison with the external gear will serve simpl to lock the internal and external gears together, so that the speed of the pulley 15 to be driven will be the same as that, of the shaft 13. When av higher speed is desired, the worm will be turned to by a vertical by a .vertical adjusting tlghten the engagement between the friction disks, and the centrifugal governor will then act to slow down the speed of the external gear 20 so that as the intermediate gears 18 are revolved they will also be turned or rotated and will transmit a higher speed to the ulley 15. When lower speeds are desire the pressure between the -friction disks will be lessened, so that the centrifugal governor will permit a higherspeed of rotation of the external gear 20, tending to counteract the driving e'Hects of the revolving intermediates 18, so that a lower resultant speed 4will be transmitted to the pulley 15.

In practice I have found that in the use of a variable speed' mechanism as thus constructed, I am enabled to drive metal-Workmg tools or other machines so that the same may be given any desired speeds of operat1on; changes of speed can be effected very readily; adjustments of speed,can be made with any desired degree of accuracy; and operating speeds will be maintained in spite o variations of speed of the driving shaft.

I am aware that changes may be made by 31 which enrevolve at the.

skilled mechanics in the use of my invention, and that devices constructed according to myl invention may be used for many other purposes besides that of driving metal planing machines.

I do not wish, the construction described, but

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1* 1. In a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a driving shaft, a part to be iven, means for automatically governing the speed of the part to be driven, and a planetary system of gearing comprising a primary gear turning with the governing means, a gear connected with the part to be driven, and an intermediate ear revolving with the driving shaft and mes 1g with both of the other two gears.

2. In` a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a part to be driven, a driving part, planetary gearing connecting them comprising a gear, a sleeve rotatable with respect to both the drivin and driven arts on which said gear is fixe a sleeve sli able therefore, to be limited to I have herein shown and von the first named sleeve, a governor having means for moving said slida le sleeve longitudinally in accordance with the speed of rotation, a friction member fixed with respect to said slidable sleeve, and a stationary friction member ada ted to engage said friction member on the s eeve.

3. In a variable speed mechanism, the combination ,of a shaft, a pulley loosely mounted thereon, a sleeve loosely mounted on the shaft, a governor mechanism comprising a stationary friction member, a rotary friction member on the sleeve, and an automatic governor tending to press the rotary friction member into engagement with the fixed friction member, a gear connected with the pulley, a gear connected with the sleeve, and an intermediate gear revolved. by the shaft and meshing with both of the other gears.

4. In a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a pulley loosely mounted thereon, a sleeve loosely mounted thereon, a governor mechanism com rising a stationary friction-disk, a rotating iction disk on the sleeve, and spring-retracted governor weights tending to press the rotating friction-disk into engagement with the fixed friction-disk, an internal gear in the pulley,

an external gear upon the sleeve, and an intermediate gear revolved by the shaft and meshin with both the internal gear and the externa gear.

5. .In a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a pulley loose on the shaft, a sleeve loose on the shaft, an adjustable governor mechanism controlling the speed of rotation of the sleeve comprisinllr a stationary friction-disk, means for adjusting the stationary friction disk laterally, a fric-v tion-disk turning with the sleeve, and springretracted governor Weights for pressing the friction-disks together, an internal gear in the pulley, an external gear on the sleeve, and

an intermediate gear revolving with the shaftl and meshing with both the internal and external gears.

6. In a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a pulley loose there# on, a sleeve loose thereon,"a governor mechanism controlling the speed of rotation of the sleeve, comprising a stationary friction-diskwith the internal gear and the external gear.

7. In a variable speedl mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a pulley loose thereon, a sleeve loose on the shaft, a governor mechanism controlling the speed of rotation of the sleeve comprising a stationary friction member, a fixed support on which said friction member is threaded, a Worm Wheel and shaft for turnin said friction member to adjust the same aterally, a friction member turning with the sleeve, and a governor for pressing said friction members together, and a system of planetary gearing for connecting the pulley with the sleeve, one of the membler! of the gearing being connected with the s a t.

8,.4 In a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a ulley loose there# on, a sleeve loose on the s aft, an adjustable governor mechanism controlling the speed of rotation of the sleeve comprising a stationary friction member, means for adjusting said friction member laterally, a friction member turning with the sleeve, and a governor for pressing said friction members together, and planetary gearing connecting the pulley and sleeve, and com rising an intermediate gear revolving with t e shaft.

l 9. In a variable speed mechanism, the combination of a part to be driven, a driving part, planetary gearing connectin them comprlslng .a gear, a sleeve rotatab e with `respect to both-the drivin and driven arts on Which said gear is fixe a, sleeve sli able on the first named sleeve, a overnor having' means for moving said slida le sleeve longitudinally in accordance with the s eed of rotation, a friction member fixed with respect to -said slidable sleeve', a stationary friction member ada ted to engage said friction member' on t e sleeve, said stationary friction member being adjustable, and manually controlled means for adjusting it toward and from the friction member of the sleeve independently ofthe o eration of said governor.

10. In a variab e speed device, the combination of a driving member, a driven member, means for transmitting motion from one member to the other, a sleeve rotatable with respect to both of said members and connected with thetransmittin means, a sleeve slidable on the first nameds eeve, a overnor having means for moving said slidab e sleeve longitudinally'in accordance'with the speed of rotation, a friction membermovable With the sliding sleeve, asecond friction member adapted to lengage the first friction member,y

and manually controlled means for adjusting the second friction member` toward and from the first friction member. y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses. j,

' ALONZO W. WHrrooMB.

Witnesses: i h

PHILIP W. SoUTnGA'rE, MARY E. REGAN. 

